ITD asphalt binder technicians achieve national certification


Pictured above are Sandra Alberti, Bill Fogg, Bob Engelmann, and Blair Barrington.

Congratulations are in order to Bob Engelmann, Bill Fogg, Blair Barrington and Sandra Alberti for becoming nationally certified under the National Binder Technician Certification (NBTC) program.  ITD hosted the certification training with participants from other agencies and industry. 

“This is a proactive step by the Central Laboratory to continue developing employees and provide a quality product, while promoting ITD’s progressive direction toward making ITD the best transportation department in the nation,” said Ron Wright, ITD laboratory manager.

The course was extremely challenging, Wright explained. The course focused on the chemical and physical properties of Performance Graded Binder and also required students to successfully demonstrate individual technical laboratory capabilities.

There are currently fewer than 200 NBTC certified technicians in the United States. 

The mission of the National Binder Technician Certification program is to address a need recognized by agencies and industry to reduce variability in Performance Graded (PG) asphalt binder test data.  The NBTC program expects to achieve this goal by promoting a standard laboratory best-practice, and ensuring that asphalt binder technicians are knowledgeable and fully qualified to produce valid specification compliance and quality-assurance data.

The NBTC program was started by the Asphalt Institute in 2008 to promote consistent testing results between agencies and industry by:

  • Providing a concise standard interpretation of test methods
  • Decreasing retesting by improving data quality
  • Promoting a consistent laboratory best practice
  • Increasing confidence in data for use in product development
  • Tightening the precision and bias statements in published standards
  • Reducing the risk of unnecessary penalties, deductions and disputes

Published 3-21-14